“I am a vehicle dynamics engineer. So, I’ve driven a lot of cars. I’ve been waiting for something like this for the past 45 years.” – Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M GmbH
From the scorching heat of Death Valley to the icy landscapes of Lapland, the first all-electric high-performance prototype of the new generation is subjected to a fierce test regime in the most extreme conditions to take electrified M High Performance to a new level. We tagged along with the BMW M pioneers as they performed a series of tests at the Polar Circle.
All M models are ideally prepared to master every conceivable driving situation in everyday use because they have been tested in every conceivable non-everyday driving situation during their development. To ensure that an enthusiastic step on the accelerator or brake pedal is transferred to the asphalt without any unpleasant surprises, but with maximum precision, every BMW M must weather thousands of kilometers on gravel and slippery ice during development – without causing any unpleasant surprises there either.
How rocky – or icy – a road this is for the first full-electric prototype of BMW M’s new electric drivetrain, we had the opportunity to witness for ourselves – in Arctic landscapes at temperatures below minus 30 degrees Celsius.
MORE THAN 1,000 HP
The Beast, as the BMW M2 F87-based prototype was reverently named by the developers, brings more than 1,000 hp to the road – and yet it is just the first stage of BMW M’s journey towards the e-mobility of the future for today’s customers.
The developers challenged the limits of what is technically possible by drawing out more than 1,000 hp from its drivetrain. With this level of power, the vehicle was hard to control. Nevertheless, this setup was a deliberate choice. It allows the engineers to work out exactly where they need to develop which technical measures to turn maximum performance into controllable and ground-breaking new BMW M driving dynamics.
In the next step, the knowledge gained is applied to a new prototype. Due to its architecture as an electric vehicle with high rigidity and an ideally positioned power storage unit, the developers opted for a BMW i4 M50. This second-generation test vehicle was not only equipped with the latest drive, control, and stabilization technologies but was also taken to the most inhospitable regions of the world for intensive testing.
EXTREME CONDITIONS
From scorching heat to arctic cold – remote regions of the world with extreme environmental conditions are crucial for BMW in order to test performance and provide the decisive edge. As with every M model, the complex and intricate technologies of the new M electric drive must prove their resilience and reliability in an extensive series of tests in cold, rain, heat and dry conditions on the way to series production.
The idea behind this exhausting process: you have to put your products through the worst to achieve the best results.
TO THE POLAR CIRCLE
One of said extreme regions during the winter months is the municipality of Arjeplog in northern Sweden. In the tranquil town just a few kilometers short of the Arctic Circle, BMW maintains a fully equipped test center, which is particularly busy during the cold season. Between December and February, temperatures there can drop to minus 30 degrees Celsius – in other words, Arjeplog is the perfect test laboratory for the new second-generation all-electric prototype.
It is not just about ensuring the performance of the technology at sub-zero temperatures. Arctic temperatures also create ideal conditions for testing the vehicle’s power transmission on surfaces with what the engineers call a ‘low friction coefficient’. The frozen lakes around Arjeplog are converted into test tracks for this purpose. On the slippery ice, minimal differences in power transmission are enough for the wheels to lose their grip. Nowhere is the threshold for losing control of the vehicle as low as under these conditions.
To avoid undesirable situations like these, control systems with what the engineers call ‘maximum control quality’ are required. To ensure optimum grip on ice, several factors must be controlled simultaneously: power transmission, drive torque and wheel slip rate, lateral control force, braking, and steering maneuvers – to name just a few. The amount of data is extensive and will continue to increase with a cutting-edge application like the new M electric drive. And this is where the aforementioned ‘maximum control quality’ comes into play.
NEW STANDARDS 3.0.
Until now, each system has had its own control unit. Whether engine electronics, brakes, steering, or stabilization functions – simply put, each system did its own thing. In order to process data more efficiently and prevent control systems from being at odds with each other – what the engineers call ‘competing goals’ -, the developers of the new full-electric drive have now developed a central brain that controls all functions relating to driving dynamics. The result: faster control activities with even better driving properties.
According to the developers, the conclusion of the first test drives, including those on the mirror-smooth, frozen lakes at the Arctic Circle, can be summarised as follows: awesome!
Or, to put it more scientifically, the new central brain brings about an unprecedented control quality and, thus, a new level of M driving dynamics.
SOMEONE WHO KNOWS EXACTLY HOW THIS WORKS
Is BMW M’s Axel Theiling. He is the Project Manager for Drive Electrification & Head of High-Voltage Storage & Charging at BMW M, and, therefore, someone who knows the new generation of the all-electric BMW M drives like a few others.
Hi Axel, thank you for taking the time to talk to us. Could you describe to our readers in a few words what your role in this project is?
Yes, absolutely. I’m always happy to talk about our exciting projects. I actually have a dual role with the high-performance BEV. On the one hand, I’m the project manager for the all-electric drive at BMW M, and on the other hand, I’m also in charge of high-voltage storage development. Two challenging, but also super exciting tasks.
What plans do you have of the first all-electric high-performance model from BMW M? What should the vehicle be able to do, where do you expect it to set new benchmarks – and how is your prototype performing in terms of these objectives?
For the first all-electric high-performance vehicle at BMW, we have set our sights on nothing less than the ‘ultimate driving machine’. The high bars we’re looking to live up to are the fundamental characteristics of the current M3 and its predecessors – precision, agility, reproducibility, emotionality and performance. But we are also aiming for a completely new driving experience. The new degrees of freedom due to employing 4 electric motors realises an optimal friction coefficient at all times. This leads to previously unknown cornering speeds and handling characteristics which is something you can already experience very impressively in our prototypes.
Driving dynamics and high performance are the be-all and end-all of an M model – is it more difficult to realise these characteristics with the new electric drive compared to a combustion engine, does it challenge the whole engineer in you?
The development of an M vehicle always requires the maximum art of engineering. We always want to push the boundaries of what is technically possible in order to provide our customers with a unique driving experience. Developing the first all-electric high-performance drive means we never go easy on ourselves. We are developing both a specific high-voltage battery that will stand out significantly from anything BMW M has ever produced before – particularly in respetct to long-term performance –, as well as specific electric motors that will master the perfect balance between performance and efficiency.
You have just tested your prototype extensively on snow and ice in the Arctic Circle, the keyword being ‘full utilisation of friction coefficient’: can you explain what this means and how this can best be achieved with the electric motor you are developing?
By full utilisation of the coefficient of friction, we mean that we always apply exactly the maximum transmissible force to the wheels in order to generate maximum propulsion or maximum braking performance. To achieve this, the electric machines must be controlled as precisely as possible along the desired slip limit. But the electric machines are just one link in a chain of various control units, sensors and actuators that together create precisely this driving sensation.
As an engineer at M GmbH for many years, we assume that you also drive BMW M off work. If so, can you tell us which models you drive and what you like about them?
Matter of fact, I’m currently driving the BMW M3 Touring. My absolute dream car and a great reference for our first high-performance BEV vehicles. For me, the M3 Touring is a sports car for everyday use – relaxed, confident at all times and with plenty of storage space, yet at the touch of a button I can unleash the beast and have a racing machine that makes you forget the ‘touring backpack’. Even during a relaxed lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife, you easily leave one or two sports cars in the rearview mirror …
As an engineer, you know all the secrets and finesses of our vehicles, so to speak, and yet your fascination with driving a BMW M remains unbroken: what’s the secret?
It’s despite, or rather precisely because of that! It’s a privilege to work for BMW M and to be involved in creating these outstanding products. I am a true BMW M fan. I have both petrol and electricity in my blood … I’m a motorsport enthusiast and drive an E90 325i on the Nordschleife. That said, for me, BMW M represents the perfect solution for anyone looking for a sports car that is fully suitable for everyday use.
STAY TUNED
For the next episode, and the electric drive revolution made by M.